


Tales of Love and War

by Seiryu_Cresct



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Fluff, Happy Ending, Love at First Sight, M/M, PTSD, Torture, Trauma, original backstory and hc's for Lin based off of support convos and info in them, original names for Ashe's siblings, soft moments
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:08:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28678662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seiryu_Cresct/pseuds/Seiryu_Cresct
Summary: Linhardt had always been an odd sort of child, he never wanted to go outside and never read fantasy books, instead he stayed inside the library reading history books. The fantasy books were all fake, there were no dashing noble knights. No one looked out for him, no one would come. Mostly, he stayed inside the library too, to hide away. Being the odd child he was, he was frowned upon by the nobility. The adults and the children all despised him and constantly wished to change him and his dreadful ways. He was seen as lazy, a disgrace to the nobles everywhere. He endured countless acts of torture in their attempts to "fix" him. Fairytales were fake, knights did not exist to his rescue. Or so he thought, until the day he came to the officer's academy and met a small boy his age named Ashe. This boy changed his cold harsh life he lived, giving him for the first time ever, a true friend, he was a bright sun illuminating his dark path.*This fic will take place in Crimson Flower and will go through their lives, how they met and how the war affects them.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Linhardt von Hevring
Kudos: 6





	1. The Wounded Owlet

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first FE3H fic! It has been probably around 2 or 3 years since I have written a fire emblem fic, the past ones having been from Jugdral. I always end up loving rarepairs and am excited to write this Ashehardt fic! I have had so many ideas for it in my head for weeks. I really love Linhardt and have so many headcanons behind him and his character! I really hope this fic will be enjoyed!
> 
> Note: All original ideas belong to me please do not use!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Linhardt has to live in the abusive situation he is stuck in, everyone looking down on him and hating him for how he is. There was no one in this world who would accept him... was what he believed. He would never be free. That was, until he was enrolled in Garreg Mach academy. He hoped things would finally change...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I am quite happy to have created my own original backstory for Lin that I feel fits, after reading his dialogue and interactions in game. I honestly do feel he was tortured and abused... I am sorry for this being dark but I promise it gets happy! 
> 
> This is all my original ideas for him so please do not take his original backstory. If you wish to have or use inspiration please please credit me! Saying "Seiryu" or my tag either on ao3 or twitter @KuronoHari_ would be perfect! Thank you all so much!

* * *

Linhardt had always been an odd sort of child, he never wanted to go outside and never read fantasy books, instead he stayed inside the library reading history books. The fantasy books were all fake, there were no dashing noble knights. No one looked out for him, no one would come. Mostly, he stayed inside the library too, to hide away. Being the odd child he was, he was frowned upon by the nobility. The adults and the children all despised him and constantly wished to change him and his dreadful ways. He was seen as lazy, a disgrace to the nobles everywhere. He would rather sleep and had very low energy. He hardly spoke up and would slip away from his schedule that day made by his parents or teachers. No one accepted him for how he was, they refused. The nobles all disowned him, rejecting him from their circles. Instead of leaving him be, they tried fixing him.

The first attempt at changing him was his constant sleeping, chaining him in the cold wet dungeon. When he tried sleeping, they would toss a bucket of ice water onto him to wake him up. This only made him more withdrawn, their form of torture lasting a month. They decided it wasn’t severe enough, changing their torture to the form of a whip. The pain they caused him ran deeper than the physical wounds to his skin.

Everywhere he walked they would whisper about him and talk about him as if he wasn’t even a person, as if he had no feelings or heart at all. They would scream at him, call him selfish. He couldn’t be normal; he couldn’t be like them. The kids took after their parents and laughed. It was a game to find Linhardt and drag him out. They would beat him up until he was crying. He cried often these days.

Years passed as this went on, as long as he had lived in his parent’s estate, soon, he couldn’t cry anymore. His sleeping only increased, and he became more stubborn and set in his ways. He couldn’t understand why they were so hellbent on changing him, fixing him. He wasn’t hurting anyone by sleeping, reading his history books and staying indoors. Everything about him was wrong. He soon began to hate himself and those fantasy books too. There were no such people in this world. It was a cold, cruel world where everyone was so stuck on themselves and their opinion. It was disgusting and he wanted no part in it.

It was circumstantial, how he knew the boy his age next door. He refused to see him as a friend, he was just like all the others around him. He didn’t allow him to be himself and forced him to do things against his will. He wouldn’t even listen to when Linhardt wanted to talk, as if completely ignoring everything he said. He would drag him to train, hard and brutally until he was crying and bleeding, his whole-body sore for weeks. The boy and his father both would force him almost daily. Linhardt’s father was not happy his son was forced to train against his will, and it led to a sort of war between the families. The forced training after that, thankfully had stopped and he vowed he would never train again. He wished to heal others, focus on healing magic. He was not cut out for this sort of hell.

The boy, much to his chagrin, refused to leave him alone. He was the most obnoxious, unruly, ill mannered boy he had seen. If only their families weren’t so close, he never would have met him. He swore to the high heavens, this boy just liked to hear himself speak. He wondered why… he was treated so awfully when the boy, who was a noble as well, wasn’t.

Linhardt had always eaten his food with his silverware. The boy ate with his hands and didn’t chew with his mouth closed. Linhardt took his time eating, the boy? Stuffed as much into his mouth in as little time he could. All this boy did was fight, boast about himself and his family and ignore his words and advice he would ask him for. Why ask in the first place?

Fairytales were fake, this was real life. Knights were not like they were in the books; they did not exist. Linhardt found himself spending more time in his bedroom, he took all his books there to study, research and hide from all the pain, all the people that brought him pain. Each attack, each insult, he began locking up deep inside himself. No one cared for him, no one ever would. No one was interested in what he was, no one cared to listen to him. He didn’t get excited anymore over what he found interesting, each time he had, he would be cut down for. He would be hit, and the book torn from his hands and tossed away. _Go actually do something productive for once._ Some responses were. _Does he ever shut up?_ More would say. _Haha what’s wrong with him?_ Were yet another way they said. He was scarred emotionally as well as physically.

Many years he endured their torture, emotional and psychological abuse. His whole body was marred with scars, especially his torso and back. He had his pretty face and his long hair to keep up his beautiful appearance. But he knew he wasn’t beautiful. He never actually felt it, despite how often some girls would coo over how jealous they were of his soft skin. If only they knew…

From the torture he endured, it only seemed to make him more weird in their eyes. No one noticed the two things were correlated but they were. When outside to see the servants walking with their buckets of water he would freeze up entirely, unable to breathe. All he could see were the cruel smiles on their faces as they tossed the cold water on him, he could feel the sting like a thousand needles as it hit his skin, it was so hard to breathe every time… The local horse drawn carriages that came by scared him senseless too, in some ways the sounds of the reins as they were flicked by the driver sent him into a frenzy. He would scream and flinch, cowering to the ground with his hands over his head. The only person around that began to notice these changes were a few servants and the driver. They knew it must be something deeper than, he was afraid of horses or that he hated buckets. Linhardt became more withdrawn than he was before, he hid himself better to stay away from his surroundings.

He was still forced to be around family and their family friends however. His behavior around them only continued becoming worse. He couldn’t keep his head up, it hung low. Before when he had good posture around them, bright curious eyes, he now was hunched over, his blue eyes dull and his hands constantly pulling at and fidgeting with his shirt. The boy felt he just had to toughen him up, attacking him unwarranted, demanding a fight. The boy's father laughed, finding great amusement in this and cheered his son on. Linhardt’s father did not like how his son was treated by the boy. Linhardt’s parents saw the change in their son but feared it was just his already bad behavior getting worse. They had to do something to save their son which led to the next part of his life.

As the only child of House Hevring, he was enrolled in the officer’s academy. He had hoped this would change his life, get him out of this current hell. Though, his hopes were not too high. He knew better. Reality was harsh after all. He knew he would just be dragged out of one hell and into another. At least… he would have new books to read and new places to explore. Maybe it would not be as bad there as it was for him here.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! You can find me on my twitter @KuronoHari_!


	2. The Brave Cub

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashe is brave for taking care of his siblings after their parents pass, takes a chance on a noble who catches him stealing and wants to become a knight to protect people, not for the riches and glory. He hopes to achieve his dream after he is enrolled in the officers academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a short chapter but I just wanted to set it up before the next one where Lin and Ashe meet each other for the first time.

* * *

Ashe’s life had been hard in a completely different way than Linhardt’s. Forced onto the streets to raise his two younger siblings, twins Pamela and Jerome after their parents died from a plague. He was far too young for a job to raise them and sustain them and so, was forced to steal food and money. He always fed and cared for them above himself. They were most important; they were all he had left. Many days, Ashe had gone hungry. This small town knew there was a thief stealing food and money, it was getting riskier every day.

The town increased their security, guards almost every corner. Ashe couldn’t go out and it was already the middle of winter, their shelter a hole in the wall with only a few wooden boards to shield them from the harsh weather. The winds that blew were so cold it felt as if it tore through their thin clothes straight through to their bones. Ashe looked to them, then to the outside. The sun was down, the wind beginning to pick up. He had to do something… they wouldn’t last many more nights like this. He slipped out from their hiding place, keeping low to the ground and pulled his tattered cloak over his head. He kept close to the stands and structures around for cover. He knew there was a large estate that housed nobles. That would be the perfect place to steal money and should last him and his siblings for a while.

Using the camouflage of the night and lack of lights out back he was able to get inside with relative ease. His eyes were wide as he looked around, he had never seen such a large house with such expensive artifacts. He didn’t belong here and wanted to be out as fast as he could. With a quick look to either side of the hall he chose the left path where all the paintings of the noble family were hung on the walls. He stared a little too long, hearing footsteps echoing down the empty hallways.

The small child gasped and ducked inside the first room. It was filled with books and dazzling armor and weapons, trinkets and priceless artifacts. The first thing in that room in particular that caught his eye was the cover of a book, sitting on a chair. _Loog and the Maiden of the Wind._ It had a gallant knight on the cover, the child’s eyes widening in awe. He reached for it, wishing so desperately to read it but was never taught how. Right as he reached for the book, the door to the treasury swung open, a middle aged man in dark robes stood there, Ashe expected anger and guards but instead was met with a kind smile.

“Hello, you like that book there? You may keep it. I will teach you to read so you can enjoy it. Here… why don’t you tell me why you are here? Do you have a name?” The man had a soft warm voice.

Ashe fidgeted but stayed strong. “I… have to feed my siblings… our parents d-died… a plague… My name is Ashe.” He whispered.

The man’s heart was filled with emotions for this child and wished nothing more than to take them in and care for them. “I will adopt you and your siblings. You won’t have to steal or go hungry again.”

It was honestly, almost too good to be true, but this was how he became Lord Lonato’s adopted son. Staying true to his words, he taught him to read. This book became Ashe’s favorite, having read it over many, many times until it was worn. The tales of knights… brave and dashing, protecting all. Ashe wanted to be a knight. He wanted to be strong and gallant, he would protect those that needed it. The helpless, the weak, those wrongly picked on and hurt. He would be there and give them hope, they wouldn’t suffer any more.

That night, the three children were given a warm bed and a warm meal for the first time in years. The following morning they met a boy several years older than Ashe. The boy had a smile as warm as Lonato’s, the children felt at ease. He was in their room waiting for them to wake up, quite excited to have siblings. “Hi I’m Cristophe! Only child of Lonato. My father told me about what happened. I’m sorry…” His bright blue eyes were sad.

Ashe nodded. “I’m Ashe, this is my sister Pamela and my brother Jerome.” He introduced them.

Cristophe was extremely friendly and welcoming, the siblings did not have a hard time getting along with him at all. Ashe admired both his adoptive brother and father, wanting to be just like them. They were the exact definition of a knight, just like in the storybooks.

Years went by until he was old enough to be enrolled in the officer’s academy at Garreg Mach monastery. Ashe would fulfill his dream at last and become a knight.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope though that this story will be enjoyed! I have so many ideas and am very excited to write them all. You can find me on my twitter @KuronoHari_ this chapter was proofread too by @cherishedchild99


	3. First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Linhardt and Ashe finally arrive at the academy and meet for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry this one was short but I really wanted to post it and was so excited as I wrote it!! I love how cute they are... I really hope you all will enjoy it!!

* * *

It was a big change for all of them, leaving the homes they grew up in for an academy they would learn how to fight in case of war. Linhardt and Ashe both were 16 now, both looking forward to this experience for very different reasons.

Linhardt prayed to get a moment's reprieve, after all he had been forced to deal with back home… anything was better than that. Anxiety pricked at the back of his mind, he subconsciously began scratching at the raw, still healings wounds on his arms. Nothing would change, nothing would get better. He couldn’t escape the pitiful existence he lived…

There were a few adults standing around, helping lead the students to their new dorms where they would live. Linhardt clutched his bag close to him, taking out a book that had a map of the academy. He was distracted by the map that he hadn’t noticed the boy he grew up with had come up behind him, laughing as he slapped his back joyfully.

“Looks like we are stuck together again Linhardt!” Caspar cheered, his force however had knocked Linhardt off balance, his book falling from his hands. He gasped, not expecting to be hit, clenching his eyes shut as he fully expected to hit the ground hard.

Yet it never came. Ashe had rounded the corner in that moment, first seeing the book and catching it, before he saw Linhardt had fallen too and caught him. He reacted on impulse, seeing a person falling. Linhardt was quite tall, much taller than Ashe but he did his best to keep him upright, holding him tightly.

“Ah! Are you alright?” Ashe asked with concern.

Linhardt slowly opened his eyes when he never felt the ground and was shocked, staring into beautiful sea green eyes. He couldn’t help but crack a small smile, seeing such a cute round face adorned with freckles.

Caspar huffed and crossed his arms; he was tinier than anyone their age yet acted like the biggest person around. “Gotta get better Linhardt or you won’t last a single day here.” He said as he left to chase down a person, he thought would be strong. He was looking for a good fight.

Ashe was stunned as he stared back at Linhardt, a blush rising to his cheeks. He…was the most beautiful boy he had ever seen. He had thought before that Christophe was handsome but this boy, he currently held… broke all measures. He had the longest, darkest eyelashes and eyes as deep as the ocean. His face was so slim and dainty, his lips full and perfectly formed. Ashe was completely in awe, this was like… a real princess in one of his fairytales.

“I’m…quite alright…thank you.” Linhardt muttered as he forced himself to break from his current daze. He got back onto his feet, slowly pulling away from Ashe.

“Thank you for saving me, I owe you my thanks and… I suppose we will be seeing each other around lots more?” Linhardt tilted his head.

Ashe nodded as he smiled brightly. “Yes! I-I’m Ashe! By the way…” He chuckled nervously. He was always quite shy around new people, now especially since the boy he saved was so beautiful.

“Pleasure to meet you Ashe. I’m Linhardt.” He gave a polite bow.

“A-ah! I-I don’t need any of that!” Ashe’s eyes widened and he insisted, waving his hands in front of him.

“You saved me did you not? You deserve my respect.” Lin insisted. He honestly didn’t know why the boy didn’t just let him fall to the ground, he didn’t know him and certainly would begin to think he wished he hadn’t gotten to. It was only a matter of time, he would see the disgust on his face and one day, would cease to see him at all. It was just a fact of life. He knew he would always be despised.

Ashe could see the darkness that clouded Linhardt’s eyes despite all the masking of his emotions that he did. He simply nodded. “Ah well… let me see you to your room! Let’s see here…” Ashe looked down at his own map and back up at Linhardt.

“It appears we are going in the same direction. My dorm shouldn’t be too far from yours.”

Lin just nodded. “I see. Thank you. I can get there on my own, but I appreciate your help.”

Despite that being Lin’s way of leaving, Ashe remained by his side. The smaller boy didn’t leave until Lin ducked into his room. “This is where we part.” Lin said softly, avoiding eye contact.

Ashe blinked before he realized that Lin was right. “O-oh! R-right!” He blushed again and rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly.

“I…I hope to see you…uhm…later? Dining hall at dinner maybe?” Ashe added quickly as Lin had already begun to close his door.

Lin was caught off guard. Why was it he wished to spend more time with him? He slowly nodded. “Perhaps…” He finished closing his door, unable to stop his heart from pounding. All these emotions were so new to him… a kind person? That was a myth… yet. He plopped himself onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Ashe certainly was a strange one… maybe… this place wouldn’t be so bad afterall…

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing them so much and hope to have more soon! I hope too that you all can enjoy them!! You can fine me on my twitter @KuronoHari_


	4. The Lion Cub and The Owlet's Journey Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As promised, Ashe finds Linhardt and takes him to the dining hall where they share their first meal together and get a little closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Head empty, only Ashehardt thoughts. I really hope you all love this chapter! Battling mental health andf ADHD is hard but I am making it! I am pushing through for the love of my rarepair and otp...
> 
> Note: All original ideas belong to me! Please do not use any of my original ideas or original plot ideas. Thank you!

* * *

Linhardt had lost track of time, how long he had been staring up at his ceiling in his dorm thinking of the boy he just met. That smile… it was the brightest he had ever seen and made him feel like he was looking at the sun itself. But he refused to have his hopes up… there was no way someone would actually want to spend time with him. He wasn’t worth it. With another soft sigh he rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face into his pillow. The hours ticked by, Linhardt remaining unmoved.

In the dining hall Ashe was looking around for the boy he met earlier. Where was Linhardt? Did he get lost? He was planning on saving him a spot but after waiting for ten minutes he decided he would go back to look for him. Taking his map out from his pocket he followed it to where Linhardt’s dorm room was. He hesitantly and softly knocked, his small legs shaking from how nervous he was.

Linhardt heard the knock and was momentarily confused… who would be knocking at his door? “Yes, yes what is it?” He responded without getting up. He wondered if it was one of the professors…come to drag him out. This place was no different than the last…

To his surprise, came the voice of the boy who currently occupied his thoughts. “Oh, i-it’s Ashe. F-from earlier. I d-didn’t see you in the dining hall and… d-didn’t want you missing dinner.” He was fidgeting with his hands as he shifted his weight from foot to foot.

Linhardt felt like his heart had stopped, color rising to his cheeks. Did he somehow cause this to happen? Thinking and he shall appear… He sat upright so quickly his head began to spin. “My apologies. You didn’t have to wait up on me.” I’m used to going hungry. He thought to himself, he was always starved as a way of punishment, hoping to change him and his ways. It was another failed method of fixing him.

“But if I hadn’t come… would you have gone?” Ashe couldn’t help but ask. He constantly was concerned for people, and Linhardt was included.

“Hm…” Lin only hummed in response. Likely, no. But he couldn’t just tell him that, now could he? “Alright, alright…. I’m coming.” He sighed and got up to open his door. He held his breath, seeing the small boy standing there, looking up at him.

He hadn’t realized before… just how tiny he was. Those… round cheeks and freckles… Linhardt couldn’t resist reaching out and gently… poking a soft cheek. His eyes widened; they were just as soft as they looked…

Ashe blushed and stared at him, stunned and becoming more embarrassed. “I…uhm…what?” He asked softly.

Linhardt blinked at him, slowly retracting his hand. “Nothing. Well… are we going?” He asked, ready to go before things became more awkward.

“Yeah! Th-the dining hall is right this way!” Ashe gently took Lin’s hand and dragged him through the halls. He had a pretty good memory, and after making this route a few times he had it pretty much memorized.

Lin blushed and stared at him in awe. He never had anyone treat him like this… or touch him so gently. He gently squeezed his tiny hand and had a small smile. He couldn’t remember when the last time was… that he had smiled. Or was genuinely happy for that matter. His heart pattered in his chest, his thoughts foggy.

The dining hall at this point was filled with all the students from all three houses. Linhardt had never been good with crowds and immediately began to feel overwhelmed. His chest tightened and he began to feel dizzy, with his other hand, he grabbed the back of Ashe’s shirt and got closer to him.

Ashe looked behind him at Linhardt, and put the two things together, the overwhelming amount of people was affecting the other boy. “I won’t let you go. We can find a spot away from the crowds.” He offered and scanned the room quickly. In the back of the room towards where the food was being made was the emptiest. Ashe pointed to it and looked at Linhardt.

“Look! There’s only a few people here. You can sit on the end.” Ashe said and gently guided him to the bench. Linhardt sat down and still had a gentle hold on him.

Ashe chuckled softly and smiled reassuringly, “It’s alright, Linhardt. I’m going to grab us some food.” He spoke softly to him and slowly Linhardt let go of him, nodding stiffly.

Ashe didn’t take his eyes off Linhardt, not completely. He was able to get two plates of food, going back to him and sitting down beside him. “There we go! Now we can enjoy our dinner together.” His smile was just as bright as before.

Linhardt could have sworn his heart stopped for a brief moment. “A-ah… y-yes.” He said and began to eat slowly and nervously. A full proper meal… it was something it had been far too long since he had. His stomach was already full after the first few bites.

Ashe looked at him with concern, seeing he hardly touched his food. “Are you feeling alright Linhardt?” The way he looked at him with those sad green eyes made Linhardt’s heartache.

With a silent sigh, he forced himself to eat another bite, then another. He couldn’t anymore and pushed his plate away. “I… yes I…” He tried talking and covered his mouth, slowly breathing in.

“Ah! Linhardt!” Ashe immediately put his hand to his back and rubbed it softly. “I-if you couldn’t eat anymore you didn’t have to…” He whispered and passed him a cup of cold water.

With a small nod, Linhardt drank his water slowly. He took a few more deep breaths before looking at Ashe. “I’m alright. I… am just not used to… eating so much. Back at home I… hardly ate at all.” He admitted.

Ashe immediately frowned and held Linhardt’s hand. Being an orphan on the streets as long as he was… caring for only his siblings, he knew how that was. But thanks to Lonato, Ashe got to eat as much as he wanted.

But wasn’t Linhardt nobility? He knew better than to judge someone and figured his life was not as good as most nobles had it. “It’s alright Linhardt… you don’t have to eat anymore.” Ashe took his plate away and continued rubbing his back to soothe him.

He eventually calmed down and his stomach settled down enough that he looked up. “Why are you so kind to me?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“C-cuz… we are friends? Aren’t we?” Ashe responded. What more was there than that? “And I believe one should be kind and caring to all. I wish to be a knight… a knight who treats all with kindness.” He smiled.

“N-nonsense… I…” Linhardt shook his head. “We have only just met!”

Ashe took both of Linhardt’s hands in his and stared into his eyes with all seriousness. “Yet, I see you as my friend! I care about you. Please accept that.” His green eyes softened, pleading with him.

Linhardt couldn’t possibly argue any further… he sighed reluctantly and nodded. “A-alright then… i-if you insist…”

Ashe beamed brightly at him. “Yes! I do! I look forward to spending much more time with you, Linhardt!” He chuckled lightly.

Linhardt found himself blushing deeply, his heart racing. He squeezed his hands and teared up, biting them back. Many more days with Ashe… what more could he ever ask for… what more could he ever need or want.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you all think! Thank you so much! I really hope you all could enjoy this chapter! You can find me on my twitter @KuronoHari_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope to have the next chapter soon! You can find me on my twitter @KuronoHari_ and this fic was proofread by @cherishedkid99 on twitter!


End file.
